Vermont phÅ“nix. [volume] (Brattleboro, Vt.) 1834-1955, 1887-08-26
CURRENT AFFAIRS.
A Discovery of Indian Mummie-.

Lffom harper NetklAtI
There were recently lying in San Fran
cisco, awaiting shipment to Europe,
the remains of four Arizona Indians,
which are, perhaps, the most perfect speci-
mems Of the natural embalming process Of
a dry climate ever found in this country.
These remains are simply dried up by the
action of an atmosphere in which there is
no humidity. Even the viscera, which all
embalmers in Egypt found it necessary to
remove in order to guard against decompo-
sition, have been dessicated like the other
parts of the body, so that one has here the
practical result of the embalmer's art with
not a single organ of the body removed.
The discovery was made by party Of
American prospectors in the Sierra Madre
mountains Of Arizona, not far from the
border line of old Mexico These miners
were searching for indications Of gold, and
also for cave in which it was reported a
large amount of treasure and precious
stones had been buried They were follow
ing an Indian trail along the steep banks
of the Gila River, when one of the number
noticed peculiar formation in the hillside
which seemed artificial He struck his pick
into it, and fetched away bit of very hard
cement. The curiosity of the party was at
once excited and full Of the hope that they
had at last discovered the treasure cave,
they quickly removed the cement only TO
find that it covered wall of solid masonry
evidently the opening into some chamber
in the cliff The stones were laid without
mortar, and several Of the largest being re
moved, an entrance was afforded into "A rude
cave, perhaps twenty-five feet by fifteen.
BY the dim light they saw Mt one end the
skeleton of human being propped up in
sitting posture 1t flashed across their
minds at once that they were in burial
chamber Of some Of the prehistoric dwellers
Of the country, and that the mythical
treasure was still as great II myth as ever.
An examination Of the figure showed
that it was that of an unusually powerful
man of medium height Near by were
three heaps of stones, which the miners
quickly cleared away, exposing to view the
remains of three other human beings
man, young woman, and mother and
her child. Ali were in perfect preserva
tion, the features being clearly recogniza
BILE. They were all covered with coars,
woven cloth, which fell 10 pieces when
with the knees reaching nearly to the chin
The bodies were extremely light, all weigh
ing together only few pounds. The pros
pectors determined 10 remove them to tn,
nearest station, so they were packed in
sack and thrown over the back of tn,
burro. After much trouble with some Ind
ians Of the neighborhood, who resented thi
desecration, the party reached the railroad
and the bodies were shipped 10 San Fran
cisco
There they have been examined by many
local physicians and scientists, all of whom
have been puzzled to determine whethe
the remains are those Of Aztecs, Moluis, o
Zuhis. The weight Of opinion seems to b
that they are Moquis The mystery j
deepened 10y the fact that not a single scral
of writing or hieroglyphic was found il
the cave or ON the bodies. The only mean
of identification lies in the coarse cloth, o
various texture and pattern, found wrappe'
about the bodies. The uncovered bod
found at the end Of the cave was in the fin
est preservation, even the hair and eye
hrows being in good condition The flesh
as in all the others, is simply dried an
shrunk tight over the bones. the tendon
are clear and distinct. and the muscles ca
be plainly traced. The other figures var,
in the excellence of preservation. Tn
most striking is the group, evidently mothe
and child which was found in one of tn
graves. The child was little girl of fou
or five years and she was lying close up t
her mother, as if for protection.
The face of the mother shows more deli
cate features than any of the others. On
| Of the other figures, which is doubled up
with the head resting OH the knees, is tina
of young woman of sixteen or seventeen
| Her long hair is finer than that of he
companions, and her fingers show create
length and delicacy The remaining figur
| is that of young man of slender form
| In all the remains the forehead is high, tn
eyes round, the hair abundant, fine, an
| black, the cheek bones high, the face ova
| and the stature from five feet four to tiv
| feet seven inches All the figures are sleI
! der except that Of the large man who wa
| found uncovered at the end of the cav,
| No care seems to have been taken TO max
| the remains presentable.
The features of all these bodies woul
seem 10 preclude the possibility that the
are Aztecs or Totecs The weight of opir
ion Of San Francisco archwologists inclin,
! to the belief that they are either Moquis q
! Zunis, rs it is known that both these peopI
| have INDUCED in cave burial The regio
| in which they were found-the valley {
| the Gila-was once the seat of great en-
| pire, and some Of the remains, such as I'll
| Casas Grandes, show that the people po
sessed no mean architectural skill. Ii
| the intention of the owner of these curios
ties TO take them TO Europe, where II
ablest living archmologists will be given Il
| opportunity to study them.